Parse Gallery is pleased to announce "Caligula," an installation of new works by Wesley Stokes. "Caligula," is organized by artitst and curator John Otte, and features paintings, drawings, sculpture, and video, as well as original sound works by Philip Kruse and Philippe Andre Landry. In this exhibition, Stokes suggests multiple connections between classical, contemporary, and personal worlds, which in turn refers to in the cultural state of New Orleans. The reference to the Roman emperor, Caligula is intended to evoke power, excess, and tragedy. Realism, abstraction, and interpenetrating sounds are carefully composed within the space to form a chamber of dissonance. Raw and refined, each element is placed within a dynamic field, creating a fully immersive, yet undetermined aesthetic experience. In addition to exhibiting his own work, Stokes invites like-minded artists from abroad for special performances in order to establish a dialogue between his own work and theirs. 

 

Cast of Ruins:

 

Wesley Stokes was born in northeast Mississippi, and lives and works in New Orleans. He has shown work in various American cities as well as performed an homage to Joseph Beuys in Paris titled, "He Gets It." A past member of the Chicago based art collective, NO-COAST, Stokes has also served as a director at NP Contemporary Art Center in New York City and has written for various arts publications.

 

John Otte is an artist and curator from Atlanta, GA. He currently lives and works in New Orleans. He has curated numerous exhibitions including "Constant Abrasive Irritation Produces The Pearl, A Disease Of The Oyster," 2011-12 at The Pearl, a satellite exhibition of Prospect.2 New Orleans, "Summer Falls," at Whitespace Gallery, Atlanta in 2009, and "Entr'acte" at Bush Antiques, a satellite exhibition of Prospect.1 New Orleans. For more than 20 years, Otte has presented personal and collaborative exhibitions, specializing in immersive aesthetic environments.

 

Philip Kruse is a sound artist who was born in New Orleans. He currently owns and maintains the Third Sex record label in Chicago, and performs live in numerous shows devoted to sound and noise art.  

 

Philippe Andre Landry is a sound artist and composer who was born in southwest Louisiana, and currently lives and works in New Orleans. Landry composes for dance art collective (c)ollaborate 78 in Lafayette, LA, which performs this June 2012 at the St. Ambroise Montreal FRINGE Festival.

 

Brianna Smyk, “Experience the weight of 'Caligula',” The Times-Picayune, June 2012.

D. Eric Bookhardt, "Works at Parse Gallery and Staple Goods." Gambit,  June 2012

Nikki Carter, "Art Interprets New Orleans In ‘Caligula’." GoNola, June 2012